Nancy Nutile-McMenemy requested a moment of silence for Tom Heiser, who passed away on October 2nd. He spent 20 years at this fire company and then was hired as Captain, then served as the Fire Warden in town. Services to follow.

Congratulations to our recording secretary on her recent nuptials.

Comments from the public about items not on the agenda

Mychael Spaulding voiced his concerns regarding Nancy Nutile-McMenemy being impartial to one fire department verses the other. He brought up actions from Nancy at the Select Board meeting on 10/15/18 that were concerning to him and felt that her personal relationship with the Ascutney Volunteer Fire Department Chief were being put over the town safety and what is best for the town by going to a municipal department.

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy addressed their concerns as well as reiterated that she is not affiliated to either side. She also noted the Town Conflict of Interest Policy that all the Select Board members signed, you will see that one of the members on the Select Board probably should not have entered into any discussion at all regarding with anything with the fire department because of his association as an active member. She stated that she just wants what is best for town. Her concern is that the Select Board has not been given enough information to move forward.

Chief Dauphin “Madam Chair, correct me if I’m wrong, but they have given comments to the Board at this point I don’t think we are supposed to give anything back. Is that correct Kelly?”

Kelly Murphy noted that the potential issues was Nancy’s comments at the Select Board meeting were not given as a citizen, but as the Chair of the Fire Commission. Once Nancy introduced herself as the Chair and gave her opinions and feelings on which way the town should go she was representing the Fire Commission and everyone on it, even if that was not everyone’s opinions or feelings.

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy explained that she had information that she felt was important to that discussion based on her position on the Fire Commission and should be delivered as such.

Chief Dauphin – “Under comments from the public about items not listed on the agenda, I don’t know how much discussion we really should be going into.”

Additions or deletions to this agenda

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy – Housekeeping issues:

Reports are due into the Town for the Town Report on 11/23/18. She did not receive this letter until 10/15/18 so a report was not available for the Fire Commission to review. We will have to approve it at the next meeting on 11/8/18.

Budget confusion- We had asked the Town Manager at our meeting on 9/13/18 to provide us with a budget worksheet. As of 10/6/18 there was still no draft budget or worksheet and then two days after the final agenda for this meeting, the Fire Commission was notified that the budget needed to be approved at the 10/18/18 meeting for submission to the Town.

Per the fire contract with the town, Artile 4.1 says “Each year at the November Fire Commission meeting all departments shall prepare and submit the following: financial statements, current Fiscal Budgets, etc. In section B it says the Fire Commission will review all materials submitted in 4.1a and provide input on the department’s proposed budget and the town appropriation request. The Fire Commission will submit its recommendation no later than November 1st to the Town Manager as proposed for town funding in the next Fiscal Year.”

Approve the previous Meeting Minutes:

Meeting Date _August 13, 2018

Motion to approve the minutes as amended:

Motion made by: Josh Dauphin Second: Tim Austin

Chief Dauphin noted two names listed in “Others Present” from the 8/13/18 meeting should be listed as Cheryl Watson (not Dauphin) and Rod (?) should be listed as Rod Spaulding. Requested to have names corrected and amended motion. Motion carried and approved with corrections.

Columbus Day Yard/Pie Sale was a huge success. Golf Tournament brought in ~$4,000 in profit. Fundraising total is $7,300 to date.

AVFD took part in the Fire Prevention at the Weathersfield School 10/18/18 with WWVFD, as well as several other agencies.

Longtime association member, Tom Heiser, passed away recently at his home. Private services will be held in the future.

Recent drills included driver and pump training and hose line advancement.

AVFD took part in evidence preservation training at Windsor Fire on 10/17/18 with several area departments.

AVFD brought apparatus to the Fireman’s Parade in Claremont on 10/12/18.

Chief Dauphin – West Weathersfield Volunteer Fire Department:

WWVFD completed SCBA training with their smoke machine. Patient recovery and stabilization with the use of jaws with them trapped under objects. We attended a class in Windsor put on by the State Police Fire Investigating Team.

The department will be attending a walk through at Mack Molding Sunday, 10/21/18 in Cavendish.

Coin drop location was changed to Perkinsville Village due to the State enforcing their regulations.

Mark Girard “Just wanted to note the Chief’s Classic Golf Tournament brought it $8,500. Approximately $4,000 of that was profit.

6.) Old Business:

10 Areas in Town needing dry hydrant or water tank coverage.

Both Chiefs were asked to make a priority list.

AVFD – Chief Spaulding –

Weathersfield/Bow area which include areas of Roberts Road and Bowen Hill.

Grid Lot Road Area

Center Jeffrey Lane/Little Canada Road

WWVFD – Chief Daupin –

Lottery Lane

Wellwood Orchard/Reservoir/Butterfield Hill area

106 N. Ascutney Basin area

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy asked if there were any prospects in that area, do we need to start from scratch or if there are hydrants nearby that need maintenance.

Chief Spaulding noted there are no hydrants in Bow so we would need to start from scratch. The tank at Daniels would be $47,000.

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy suggested putting this in as a line item on the budget.

Chief Dauphin –

"Lottery lane doesn’t fall under a grant, but there is plenty of water sources.

Springfield Reservoir is on Wellwood Orchard Road, there is plenty of water there, but we need to discuss with the Town of Springfield to discuss possibilities for tapping into that source.”

Tim Austin – “Is there a place for a hydrant on Lottery Lane?”

Chief Dauphin – “Yes, there is a stream that comes off the mountain right at the entrance that always has water. It is cleaned and opened up. It would be approximately $3,000 to dig, lay pipe and set it up.”

Mark Girard noted that Gary Eastman offered to give an easement on his property to place a tank for Weathersfield/Bow area.

Chief Dauphin noted that there is $2,000 from the current budget going into the reserve account that could possibly help with the cost of adding a new tank in Weathersfield/Bow and adding the dry hydrant in the Lottery Lane area.

Chief Spaulding requested a copy of the reserve amounts for our next meeting so they could review what is available.

Chief Spaulding received an email from Daniel’s regarding cost of a poured a tank, stainless steel tank or an HDPE tank stating that the least expensive option was the poured concrete tank. The quote still stands at $47,000.

Active Shooter training and release forms-Chief Spaulding and Town Manager

The Town Manager passed those out when he arrived.

Follow-up invoices from Town Finance Dept. to Chiefs

Have not been received by either Fire Chief to date.

Turn-out gear inventory and replacement schedule

This was completed and submitted by both Fire Chiefs 7/11/18. Chief Spaulding noted that one set of turn out gear has been added since the report was filed on 7/11/18.

Budget FY2019-2020-Worksheet from Town Finance Dept.

Budget worksheet was received by the Fire Commission from the Town Office on 10/15/18 which has actuals for FY ’16, FY ’17 and FY ’18. Budget for FY ’19 and proposed budget line item for FY ’20.

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy are we getting any revenues that are not listed?

Chief Spaulding noted that there is no line item for Fuel Tax Reimbursement. They should be filing taxes to get Fuel Reimbursement from Sunoco.

Revenue:

Grant Revenue - Line item is $0

Local Sh Cowdrey Hyd Grnt – none

Appropriation Tax Revenue – none

Ascutney Fire Dept. Haz M – Leave at $250 (This is a placeholder)

AVFD Insurance Reimb. – Chief Dauphin explained is each departments property insurance that the departments pay back to the town. These figures get plugged in by the town.

AVFD Fuel Tax Reimbursement – no discussion

Dry Hydrant Reserve Trnsf - none

Loan Proceeds - none

WW Fire Dept Revenue Haz – Leave at $250 (This is a placeholder)

WWFD Insurance Reimb - Chief Dauphin explained is each departments property insurance that the departments pay back to the town. These figures get plugged in by the town.

WWFD-Disposal of Equipment – Requested clarification on this line item.

WWFD-Trnsf frm Cap Reserve - none

WWFD-New Loan Proceeds - none

Expenses:

Recording Secretary – Budgeted $900 for FY ‘20

FY ’17 and FY ’18 meetings were suspended for a period of time. The FY ’20 budget is based on having meetings each month except for the summer.

Fire Warden Stipend – Budgeted $600, same as last year.

Chief Spaulding noted that they just received the FY ’18 reimbursement due to filing deadlines. There should be a $600 actual listed in the FY ’18 column.

Kelly Murphy asked the Town Manager why the Fire Wardens were paid until the beginning of October for last Fiscal Year. The Town Manager stated it hadn’t been paid and he noticed it hadn’t been paid and requested checks to be sent. The amount did come out of last years fiscal budget and will be reflected accordingly.

FICA - Entered by the Town

Catamount Health Care - Entered by the Town

Workmen's Compensation- Entered by the Town

Unemployment- Entered by the Town

Fire Warden Mileage Reimb. – Leave at $200­­­­­­­

Advertising – None

Emergency Management – Leave at $200.

Emergency Mgmt Radios – $0 budgeted.

Chief Dauphin noted that this is not a needed line item. We can leave the line item with $0.

Per the Town Manager, this can be removed ­­­­

Fire Hyd Electrical Service – Budgeted for $1,000. The pump in Perkinsville has 3 phase power, that is how that pump is run.

Legal Expense – Budgeted $600

Dispatching Service – Budgeted $16,600 for the year. There is a possible increase for 10 – 15% per Hartford Dispatch.

General Liability Insurance – Actual entered by the Town, budgeted same as last year, $1,778

Insurance on Vehicles – Actual entered by the Town, budgeted same as last year, $5,931

Boiler Insurance – Actual entered by the Town, budgeted same as last year, $274

Fire Insurance – Actual entered by the Town, budgeted same as last year, $3,352

Serv by Highway Dept. – Requested clarification on this line item.

Appropriation to Reserve – Per the Town Manager this line item is for when we expense an item to the reserve.

Hydrant Electric Repairs – This is for the Village pump. The board was replaced in FY ’16 as a one-time expense. No budget for this line item.

Dry Hydrant Maintenance – This includes dredging of ponds. Budgeted $5,000. The FY ’18 actual is listed at $201, per the Town Manager, this will change once the amounts from Pike’s Peak are added. There are entries that need to be made from the town audit to correct the amount.

Highway Serv to Dry Hydrants – This includes plowing, maintenance, etc. Budgeted $2,500. The FY ’18 actual is listed at $268, per the Town Manager, this will change once the amounts from Pike’s Peak are added. There are entries that need to be made from the town audit to correct the amount.

Transfer to Dry Hydrant Reserve – This is where a new water tank, new dry hydrant would go. Requested $5,000 that would include the amount to add a new dry hydrant Lottery Lane.

The Fire Commission will be requested an article for $47,000 to add a new tank in the Weathersfield/Bow area. Chief Spaulding will call for bids to have a tank installed on another plot of land instead of Daniels property.

Kelly Murphy asked if we could request a quote for both the Lottery Lane dry hydrant and the new tank to see if we could get some cost savings.

Chief Dauphin/Town Manager– are looking at applying for a grant to help defray the cost of future dredging the current water sources.

Transfer to Fire Equip Reserve –

Chief Dauphin asked the Town Manager how much is in the reserve currently.

Miscellaneous Expenses - Should remove this line item. All expenses should be allocated to the appropriate line items.

Ascutney Fire:

AVFD Funding – Requested $32,000 for the next Fiscal Year. The request will go to the Select Board and Select Board will vote.

Hose Testing – Leave at $1,000

Radio Repeater Fees – This is to upgrade the Mt. Ascutney and Green Mountain repeater. Leave at $1,000.

Fire Equipment Purchase - $0

AVFD Fuel – Budgeted $3,000. Currently the AVFD is fueling at Sunoco. Jiffy Mart has offered a discount to the Town. Waiting for paperwork to be approved.

Firetruck Purchase - $0 No purchases expected.

AVFD Fire Equip Repair – Budgeted same as last year $7,500.

Highway Service to AVFD – Mechanical work on apparatus. Leave at $2,000

Interest Expense - $0

Truck Bond Debt Reduction - $0

Insurance Reimb to AVFD - $0

Hazmat Revenue to AVFD - $0

Hazmat Revenue to Reserve – Leave at $250.

Miscellaneous Expenses - Should remove this line item. All expenses should be allocated to the appropriate line items.

West Weathersfield Fire:

WWVFD Funding - Requested $25,000 for the next Fiscal Year. The request will go to the Select Board and Select Board will vote.

Chief Dauphin requested an article for $4,500 for new PPE.

Hose Testing - Leave at $1,000

Radio Repeater Fees – This is to upgrade the Mt. Ascutney and Green Mountain repeater. Leave at $1,000.

WWVFD Fuel – Budgeted $2,500

Interest Expense – Entered by the Town

Truck Bond Debt Reduction – Entered by the Town

Firetruck Purchase - $0 No purchases expected.

WWVFD Fire Equip Repair – Budgeted $6,200

Highway Services to WWVFD – Mechanical work on apparatus. Leave at $2,000

Insurance Reimb to WWVFD – $0

Hazmat Revenue to WWVFD - $0

Hazmat Revenue to Reserve – Leave at $250

Miscellaneous Expenses – Should remove this line item. All expenses should be allocated to the appropriate line items.

Motion to approve proposed budget and send to the Select Board.

Made by: Darrin Spaulding, Second Tim Austin

Vote: Unanimous in favor, no further discussion

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy will send a copy to Darlene at the Town Office.

New Business:

Discussion/recap of Matrix Meeting with the Select Board Aug. 13-Kelly

No recap needed.

Municipal Fire Department Presentation-Town Manager

Presentation is available at the Town Office and online.

Select board vote on municipal fire department.

The Select Board did make a motion to move forward with a Municipal Department on 10/15/18. This would mean an organizing, what would that look like, budget, personnel, etc.

Kelly Murphy suggested if you were not available to be at the meeting, the best thing would be to go to SAPA TV and watch the first hour.

Josh Dauphin – “At the end of the Select Board meeting on 10/15/18, there was a discussion about suspending the Fire Commission. His recommendation would be that anything pertaining to the Municipal discussion and/or outlook or layout, all the discussions take place with Fire Commission and the Select Board present so that there is no miscommunication on the subject.”

Kelly Murphy asked the Select Board what their thoughts were on suspending the Fire Commission and having Chief Dauphin and Nancy Nutile-McMenemy would be willing to come to the Select Board meetings when that topic is on the agenda so that they could have their input.

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy asked if these meetings would be separate from the Select Board meetings. The Town Manager recommended that it be a completely different meeting. Nancy also wanted to know if there was ever a point where the Town Manager sat with both Fire Chiefs to discuss what a municipal department would look like, what they wanted it to look like? What’s the best interest of the town? This will need to be done in phases.

The Town Manager explained that this is what the Fire Report says. It explains the benefits, how this can be done, etc.

Tim Austin said that it should be a joint meeting, there needs to be a lot of input on this whole process.

Chief Dauphin “It’s been 3 years since the Wood report. Since then the Fire Commission has started looking at different ways to move forward the last year 1/2. We have looked at the different ways, either a contract, keep it 2 separate volunteer departments as it was, a fire district version or a municipal version. We looked at a Fire District and we moved away from that. We had some discussion on contract services, but it was agreed that it wasn’t working for both departments.

I went to the June meeting of our incorporation of our department, even though we had voted on contract services 2 years ago, the membership had decided to change their opinion, ideas, so forth and have me request from the Town what a municipal fire department would look like. From our request this has unfolded.”

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy “I think if it done right it will benefit the whole town, but that’s the key. There has to be communication from both side, people in the middle, the Taxpayers.”

Mychael Spaulding “We keep saying we need to work together. We have had the John Wood report 3 years ago. Everyone has had a chance to go over this. Ed just did another great one, that’s what it will look like. All the answers and questions John Wood had are all answered under the municipal.”

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy “The municipal is the end goal. It’s the steps to get to that end goal that is going to be critical for this town and that’s the part where the communication and the cooperation has to come in. “

Jordyn Bagalio “You said it, we need cooperation. We don’t have the cooperation. My opinion is, we’ve just watched this, we’ve been though this, we’ve seen it time and time again. The words that I heard were “this is the first time I’ve heard of this”. That is not cooperation. “

Nancy Nutile-McMenemy “Part of the feeling of not being included has caused some of the resistance”

Jordyn Bagalio “They have been included. Feelings need to be set aside. It’s about getting to the end goal. It’s about Fire Service. It’s about saving people; however, we get there we have to work together to get to the end goal.”

Tim Austin “This is going to have to be a joint system. It can’t be Fire Commission doing one thing and Select Board doing one thing. We should have joint meetings to work this”

8.) Items for Future Discussion:

Chief Dauphin – table these items for now while we discuss the municipal department.

Kelly Murphy will go back to the Select Board to see if they want to temporarily suspend the Fire Commission while they municipal discussions are happening. She will follow up with the Fire Commission.

9.) Items for Next Meeting Agenda

Write letter for Town Report

10.) Announcements:

Town Manager noted that the 2nd Select Board meeting on November 19th the Fire Department and Police Department budgets will be presented.